Letters

Letters from the week of March 17, 2005

Bunch of martyrs: I just wanted to say that Charles Pyeatte's rant in last week's Letters column ("The Passion of the Priest," March 10) was more of the same tired-ass Christian/Catholic/law enforcement rhetoric that we have all heard a million times. Quit milking the Jesus thing, guys.

It doesn't work on those of us who aren't Christians, and it definitely doesn't work on those of us who think Christ is a crock. Sorry, but your scam only works on the already brainwashed.

Kindly take your worn-out beliefs -- and your comparison of some [pervert] to Jesus -- and refrain from sharing them with anyone but the idiots who waste money and effort in your church. We're sick of hearing this all the time. Josh MacDonald, Phoenix

How low we go: I think this article by Robert Nelson is absolutely despicable and really shows how low your newspaper will go to slander someone -- especially Father Dale Fushek, who has done so much for our community and our church ("Cross to Bare," February 24)!

I have been attending St. Tim's for more than 15 years, and my brother is very involved in Life Teen International (and he's not gay or there "to get to kids" -- he is happily married with four children). He is very close to Father Dale and has been in contact with him several times since this article came out. But Father Dale can't talk about anything since this is an open investigation, not even to a close confidant of his.

Allowing this slanderous, cruel and demeaning article when Father Dale can't even defend himself is deplorable. If your newspaper is so credible (which I don't think it is), how come the other media outlets haven't discussed it on the news or on radio talk shows? It just shows all of us what a cruel and very un-credible newspaper you have.

By the way, since the article came out, thousands of people are flocking to St. Tim's for the Masses to show their support and continual prayers for Father Dale. He did not deserve what you wrote. You should be ashamed of yourselves! You went over and beyond the morals of journalism. Kathey Osenbau, Chandler

The Fresh Prince of Phoenix

Long overdue: Do y'all at New Times realize how popular rap music is? It has overwhelmed any other genre of music in sales, and it has many artists who rival and eclipse the best that rock ever had to offer. Eminem and 50 Cent are as good as it gets, as was the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. Too bad Tupac and Biggie aren't around anymore to chill us with their street rhymes.

What I'm getting at is that I was about to give up on you guys -- except for the occasional riff on hip-hop in the Inferno column, there is very little in New Times about the hip-hop culture -- and then you do the piece on Ben Harris, a.k.a. Ol' Green Eyes ("Fast Track," Chelsea Ide, March 10).

A gangsta rapper he ain't (in quality as well as style, he'll never be no Snoop Dogg), but I thought the story made a good point about rap. It has gone beyond the stereotypical street-thug type of thing. Warren G tried to do the clean-cut rapper thing first, but this kid makes Warren look like Ice Cube (when he was hangin' with N.W.A.), before he went Hollywood on us.

And on the subject of Hollywood, like the story says, Ol' Green Eyes is a Will Smith wanna-be. He's going to college so he can make it in TV and Hollywood. Not like Ice Cube did, but like Will Smith did (we're all grateful that Will abandoned his mediocre rap career for acting, which he's a lot better at -- especially when he's in a funny role).

Even if Ben is more like the Fresh Prince than Cube, there's still room in the ever-expanding hip-hop world for a so-called "nice guy." It's too bad that he's the first rap artist in a long while that New Times has chosen to profile, is all I'm saying. There are so many here in Phoenix who never get the props they need to get on up. Give us more on America's favorite music and musicians!G.E. Horton, Phoenix

Punk'd

Not quite dead yet: My wife and I just finished reading "Emerald City" by George Tabb ("Furious George," March 3). We were shocked and outraged at the poor research that somehow was able to slip by the editorial staff at New Times.

My name is Ron Reckless. I have gone by other monikers, such as Ron Chaos, while I was the guitarist/songwriter for a band called The Very Idea of Fucking Hitler.

My point here is, according to Mr. Tabb's source, James Strate, my fellow bandmates and I are corpses.

While this is true of bass player Charlie Monoxide, who was a founding member and passed away recently, it is most certainly not true of me, drummer Bob "I-Bob" Steinelbrenner, singer Summer Wadsworth or Donna "Donorrhea" Annadrillo.